Hat box



June 13, 1967 c. K. RAUSER, 8R 3,324,994

HAT BOX Filed Aug. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 4

[Of-b INVENTOR. 3 CHARLES A. RAUSER, SR.

TORNEY June 13, 1967 c. K. RAUSER, SR

HAT BOX Filed Aug. 4, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR, CHARLES K. PAUSE/{SR United States Patent Ofiiice 3,324,994 Patented June 13, 1967 3,324,994 HAT BOX Charles K. Rauser, Sr., 608 Pamela Road, Glen Burnie Park, Glen Burnie, Md. 21061 Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,258 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-8) This invention relates generally to receptacles, and more particularly it pertains to an article protective box for storing hats for men and women.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hat box for packaging hats for display and sale and which is kept and used by the purchaser to protect and store it.

Another object of this invention is to provide a hat box which can be hung on a vertical surface and will support the hat safely and correctly out of the way.

Other objects and attendant advantages of this invention will become more readily apparent and understood from the following detailed specification and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the novel hat box of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary detail view of the hat box of FIG. 1 showing how the cover is removably fastened;

FIG. 5 depicts the installation of the hat box mounted to a vertical surface on suction cups; and

FlGS. 6 and 7 illustrate the use of the hook bracket for ona-door installation of the hat box.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, reference numeral 10 indicates generally a hat box. This hat box 10 consists of a fiat base 12 provided with a raised flange 14 spaced slighlty inwardly from the edges to form a peripheral shoulder therearound.

A dome-like transparent dust cover 16 fits over this flange and defines an enclosed space in which a hat H is placed for display, sale and storage.

The edge of the cover 16 is provided with an edge-reinforcing strip 18 which extends at two spaced places to form a pair of apertured hinge tabs 20. An elongated bracket 22 is mounted on the shoulder of base 12 and carries a stub shaft 24 on each end and which extend oppositely outward to engage the apertured tabs 20 and thus hinge the cover 16.

As shown in FIG. 4, when the hinge tabs 20 are flexed outwardly the cover 16 is easily removed from the base 12 if it is desired to display the hat on the base only as in a glass sales case or shelf.

A pair of headed rubber suction cups 26 are furnished with the hat box so the customer can mount the base 10 on a vertical wall surface S. To this end, the base 10 is provided wtih a pair of keyholes 28 for engaging the heads of the suction cups 26 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5.

To mount the hat box 10 on the back of a closet door D, a thin metal hook bracket 30 is furnished. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, this bracket 10 is provided with headed studs 32 which are used to engage with the keyholes 28 instead of the suction cups 26. The thin metal of this bracket 30 allows the hook end 34 to fit snugly about the top of the door D and allow it to close.

The hat depends from a curved support 36 fastened to the base .12 and fitted to the inner shape of the brim so it is supported whether or not the cover 16 is closed.

It is to be noted that, if desired, suitable magnets can be substituted for the suction cups 14 to hold the hat box 10 to a metallic surface.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable storage enclosure for a hat, comprising, a base having a peripheral flange spaced inwardly from its edges, a transparent top structure hingedly mounted to said base for fitting over said flange to define an enclosed space with said base, means for vertically positioning said base, and a curved element mounted to said base within said peripheral flange and having its ends depending downwardly during the vertical positioning of said base, said curved element being for fitting within said hat for posi tioning it within said enclosed space.

2. The portable storage enclosure of claim 1, wherein said base has at least one keyhole therein and said vertically positioning means includes a suction element corresponding to each said keyhole, with each said suction element having a suction cup at one end and head means at the opposite end extending through and in engagement with said keyhole.

3. The portable storage enclosure of claim 1, wherein said base has at least one keyhole therein and said vertically positioning means includes a hook element having a headed stud element mounted thereon corresponding to each said keyhole, with said headed stud element being for extending through and engaging with said keyhole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 306,073 10/1884 Forshay 206-8 1,739,801 12/1929 Pitts 2061 1,936,312 11/1933 Snyder 20645.34 2,735,542 2/1956 Shnitzler 206-16 2,925,907 2/1960 Grieve et al 206 3,095,965 7/1963 Stahl et al 20616 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, JR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PORTABLE STORAGE ENCLOSURE FOR A HAT, COMPRISING, A BASE HAVING A PERIPHERAL FLANGE SPACED INWARDLY FROM ITS EDGES, A TRANSPARENT TOP STRUCTURE HINGEDLY MOUNTED TO SAID BASE FOR FITTING OVER SAID FLANGE TO DEFINE AN ENCLOSED SPACE WITH SAID BASE MEANS FOR VERTICALLY POSITIONING SAID BASE, AND A CURVED ELEMENT MOUNTED TO SAID BASE WITHIN SAID PERIPHERAL FLANGE AND HAVING ITS END DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY DURING THE VERTICAL POSITIONING OF SAID BASE, SAID CURVED ELEMENT BEING FOR FITTING WITHIN SAID HAT FOR POSITIONING IT WITHIN SAID ENCLOSED SPACED. 